


Lean On

by Vimtuous (HappyEight)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Child Abuse, Gen, Humanstuck, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 09:04:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12527808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappyEight/pseuds/Vimtuous
Summary: Written for the Homesmut Kink MemeHumanstuck AU. Vriska and Gamzee were taken out of their homes due to parental abuse and put in the foster system. They meet at a foster home and at first they don't get along but eventually they become friends (or more if you want).





	Lean On

 

The dark hair kid is staring at Vriska from across the room and it's bugging her. The social worker who dropped her off had said she'd be sharing her new house with another kid named Gamzee. Which, if she didn't think she had the coolest of names, sounds like his parents were as off their rockers as hers. Not that she doesn't have the coolest mom on the face of the planet. She just gave Vriska a really weird name. Cool as fuck. But weird.

There are a lot of things that bug her, but something about this kid in particular is setting her teeth on edge. He doesn't seem dangerous, but there's something not right about him either. 

"Hey you," She demands loudly, because that's the only way she knows how to demand things. "What the hell are you staring at?"

She knows she has one hell of a shiner right now, and it pisses her off that she's being stared at. The kid, Gamzee she reminds herself, blinks at her. His eyes focus. That's when she realizes that he wasn't staring at her, but rather just in her general direction, spacing the fuck out.

"Oh hey, little sister," The he says, a wide and dopey smile spreading across his face that makes Vriska want to punch him just because it's so stupid. "What's shaken?"

"What's your deal?" Vriska asks, crossing her arms in front of her.

"My deal?" The he asks, his eyesbrows furrowing in confusion. "I ain't made no deals lately little sister."

"No you idiot, I mean why are you here? Parents dead or something?" She asks, knowing it's nasty, and not caring. Nice people don't get what they want. And usually they end up getting used.

"Ah nah little sister, nothing like that," Gamzee says with a shrug, "They just got all messed up in their think pans right now. I'm just staying here while they get themselves all clean and straight like you understand?"

Druggie parents and taken away by the state. She understood perfectly. 

"Oh," She says. Because what else does she say to that. Also she's already kind of bored of the conversation. "Well how long have you been here?"

"Hmm," Gamzee says, leaning back and scratching a hand through his incredibly tangled hair, "Couple months now I think?"

"You don't know how long you've been away from your parents?" Vriska says incredulously.

Gamzee shrugs, and that easy smile comes back over his face. "Shit, little sister, I can't be expected to keep track of all the time can I?"

It is a peculiar statement, and one that Vriska is not really sure how to answer.

"I'm not your little sister." She tells him, and then adds on. "You're weird." 

Gamzee just keeps grinning at her.  "Thanks."

\---

Life in the foster home is not what Vriska is used to. For one thing, there are a lot of rules, but those rules don't change.

Every morning, Mr. Egbert wakes her and Gamzee up for breakfast, which he cooks. He's a nice enough guardian. Vriska's never had a dad around. It was always just her and her mom. He seems like one of those dads on TV, kind of sweet and awkward and dependable. Not very real, but he's nice enough.

After breakfast, they have to go "wash up" as Mr. Egbert puts it. Vriska's got a toothbrush and a hair brush and all sorts of other bathroom stuff. She's not used to having all of it at once, because her mom didn't really pay all that much attention to what kinds of things were in the house when she was around. 

Both her and Gamzee seem to have the same kinds of issues with brushing their hair. Gamzee's isn't as long as her's but they've both got crazy thick, and easily tangled hair that is an absolute pain to brush. If Vriska can get away with it, she tries not to, because brushing it sucks and hurts a lot of the time if she's not careful. Also it takes forever and she has waaaay better thing to do that try and brush her hair.

Gamzee it turns out is a few years older than her. 15 to her 11. He keeps calling her little sister. It's weird. But also she thinks she kind of likes it. She doesn't tell Gamzee that. Besides, he still weirds her out a lot of the time, with the way he stares and funny way that he talks. He doesn't seem dangerous, but she's learned not to take any chances. 

It's summer time, so they don't have to go to school, and for the most part Mr. Egbert encourages them to play outside when the weather is nice and the sun is up. Which is most of the time. 

Vriska doesn't mind. She gets kind of stir crazy being stuck up in the house all day. Gamzee doesn't mind either, and he's always willing to tag along with her. It's not the kind of thing Vriska wants, but it's something that Mr. Egbert insists on if she goes anywhere away from the house. Gamzee's not always the most exciting person to be around, and he moves pretty slow most of the time, but Vriska has dealt with worse. There was one kid in her old apartment, Tavros, and he was pretty lame too, but she liked him well enough.

Except, after a while, Vriska needs some alone time. And even though Gamzee is quiet most of the time, and in general pretty chill, she needs to get away and be by herself.

It's something that she's always been good at. Slipping away without anyone noticing, and taking off.  She's just lucky like that.

She slips away one night, after Mr. Egbert has said goodnight to both of them. Gamzee is flopped over in his bed, and the TV is on. The older boy looks pretty much passed out, though Vriska can't figure out why he's always so tired.

Either way, it makes for an easy time for her to slip out of the house.

Her mom would be so proud of her, she thinks as she slips quietly out the front door and onto the street. She hasn't snuck out of the house in a while. She hasn't really needed to because Mr. Egbert has pretty much made sure that she has everything she needs. Vriska realizes she's getting lazy though, and needs to keep on her toes for whenever she gets to go back to her mom. She hopes it's soon, though she really does like living with Gamzee and Mr. Egbert. She knows that would make her mom irritated with her liking hanging out with these losers, but Vriska thinks that as long as she doesn't let her mother know that she likes them, things will be okay when she goes home.

There's a little corner store that stays open until midnight close to where Mr. Egberts suburban house is, but she keeps on going passed it. Sometimes her and Gamzee go there though during the day, and she doesn't want the clerk to recognize her. The next closest business is a gas station, a few blocks farther. It's not that far, but it sends a little thrill of nervousness through her as she walks down the dark street that seems so unfamiliar at night.

The store clerks eyes are on her immediately when she walks through the door.

"Hey kiddo, you're out late," The older woman observes from behind the counter. 

"It's summer," Vriska says definitely, heading down the candy isle. Mr. Egbert doesn't keep a lot of junk food in the house, though he does bake a cake for them usually once a week or so. Vriska wants real candy though. 

She knows the store clerk is watching her, as she acts casual, looking over the candy rack, like she's deciding what she wants. Someone else walks into the store, and the second the clerks attention is divided Vriska takes her opportunity. She picks up two candy bars, slides one into her pocket, looks at the other one, and then puts it back like it's not really what she wants. It only takes about two seconds and then Vriska is headed towards the door.

"Watcha doing out here so late, little sister."

Vriska freezes and turns to look at Gamzee. The older boy is standing right there in the store, looking at her quizzically. He doesn't look mad, which is what Vriska would have expected, considering he's the one who's going to get in trouble for not keeping an eye on her if she gets caught sneaking out. 

"None of your business," Vriska snaps, and then books it out of the store. She keeps running for a few blocks, and is surprised when she turns around to look behind her, and Gamzee is following right behind her. The older boy doesn't even look like he's breaking a sweat keeping up with her, and Vriska was running  _fast._

"What do you want?" Vriska fumes, turning around to face Gamzee.

"Just keeping an eye on you is all. Mr. Egbert up and said that he wanted me to and I figure while he's taken care of me the best he can, I can do the best I can taken care of you," Gamzee says.

"I don't need you to take care of me," Vriska snaps, turing around and stalking away. She angrily reaches into her pocket and pulls out the candy bar she lifted, opening it and biting into it viciously.

"Ah hey now, where'd you up and get some money for something like that?" Gamzee asks. He's following right beside her and doesn't seem interested at all in leaving her alone, no matter how angry she is at him.

"I didn't pay for it you moron." Vriska says rolling her eyes. 

"I bet if you would have just asked Mr. Egbert he would have got one for you," Gamzee says. Vriska rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, probably," She says, taking another vicious bite of chocolate covered caramel. It doesn't taste as good as she thought it would. She can't remember the last time she actually ate something from a gas station or even something that was pre-frozen. Mr. Egbert cooks just about everything from scratch.

"Well, maybe you can all and up and get your explain on to me why you stole that candy bar?" Gamzee says and he sounds honestly confused and curious.

"Because I don't want to get rusty, duh," Vriska says as if it's obvious. Because to her it is.

"Rusty?" Gamzee says, and now he just sound confused.

"Well yeah, I mean it's great that Mr. Egbert just gives us stuff. Because it's super easy. But when my mom comes back and gets me, I need to be on my toes still. She expects me to be strong and she's not just gonna give me stuff just because I want it." Vriska explains quickly. For being older, Gamzee can sure be dumb sometimes. 

"When your mom comes back to get you," Gamzee says, not a question not really anything. Just repeating after her. Vriska doesn't like it at all. 

"Yes. When my mom comes back to get me." She repeats. Firmly, trying to leave no room for discussion on the subject.

"Didn't your ma hit you, little sister?" Gamzee says soft and quiet. Not an accusation but it sets Vriska on edge anyways. She stop walked and whirls around to face Gamzee, hands clenched into fists. 

"How else am I supposed to get strong and learn how to fight for myself?" Vriska says definitely. Her mom fights for a living. She's one of the best, and Vriska wants to be just like her. Sometimes the other guy will land some punches before you get him down, and Vriska knows how much that hurts and she's ready for it. Ready to do just about anything to make sure that it doesn't play out that way if she can help it either.

"My ma never hit me," Gamzee says, "And Mr. Egbert never hits either of us."

"Yeah but your mom's a druggie, and Mr. Egbert is like, I don't know, a wet noodle or something. I don't know how he's managed to make it this far." Vriska counters. "Why else would my mom have trained me so hard."

"Training?" Gamzee says, looking at her, and there is a surprising clarity in his eyes. One that Vriska is not used to seeing there at all. Everything about this conversation is making her uncomfortable. She just wanted to get out of the house for a little while, practice her fivefinger discount, and eat her candy bar before heading back home.

"Yeah, dummy, training." Vriska says. "You gotta learn how to take all the kinds of punches that life throws at you."

  
"Including the ones your mom threw when she was drunk?" Gamzee says and there is a sharpness to his words. The first time she has ever heard him say something any other tone besides curious or bland.

"Shut up!" Vriska yells at him. "You don't know anything about me or my mom. She's going to do whatever it is the stupid social worker people want and then she's going to come back and get me and we're going to be super awesome together all the time. You don't know anything you...you..."

Vriska realises that she is crying by the time she has trailed off shouting at Gamzee. Her whole body feels like it's vibrating she's so angry, and she sniffles and rubs at her nose and eyes in frustration. She's angry at Gamzee for saying those things about her mom. Angry at the social workers for taking her away. Angry at her mom for letting them take her away and for leaving her here for so long without coming to get her yet.

Gamzee makes a little shooshing noise, and pulls her against his chest. She fights it, but halfheartedly, because now she is really crying in full force. It's all so dumb and awful and she's just so mad that she can't help herself. 

She cries and sobs against Gamzee's shirt, until finally she starts to settle down, and her sobs turn into sniffles.

"Your shirt is all gross," She says after a long while, wrinkling her nose, realizing she has snotted and cried all over.

"Ain't no worries little sister," Gamzee say, and the placid smile is back on his face.

Vriska takes a deep breath, then breaks away from the other boy, scrubbing at her face furiously for a second, and steeling herself back to normal.

"Okay I"m ready to go back to the house," Vriska says, and her usual swagger is back in her tone. She feels better, despite the fact that her nose is still kind of runny and her eyes feel puffy from crying.

"Fine by me," Gamzee says, and keeps right behind her as Vriska turns around and heads back to Mr. Egberts house.

Mr. Egbert is sitting in the frontroom when they get home, a light on and book in his lap. Vriska doesn't think he was actually reading it. She feels suddenly very nervous, walking back into her current guardians house knowing that she just snuck out which is definitely against the rules. She's expecting a punishment but she doesn't know exactly what Mr. Egbert has planned for them.

"We're sorry Mr. Egbert, you see Vriska had an urge to up and get her nerves out and I figured it was probably best if I went and kept an eye on her." Gamzee says, speaking before Vriska can say anything. "I didn't want to wake you, see how late and whatnot it is and knowing that you've gotta work tomorrow."

"That's fine Gamzee," Mr. Egbert says. Vriska is surprised to hear relief in his tone. "I wish you would have told me before you went out though."

"Well you see Mr. Egbert, I figured this was something that you wouldn't really understand, if you understand?"Gamzee says sounding hopeful. Vriska fidgets nervously next to him. "It's a well, a me and Vriska kind of thing."

Mr. Egbert gives a long sigh, "Yes, Gamzee, I think that I do understand. You two are not the first children to have passed through this house."

Vriska breaths a small sigh of relief that she didn't realized she was holding. Then Mr. Egbert locks his gaze on her and she fights the urge to shrink like a weakling behind Gamzee.

"Vriska, I know that things are not easy for you right now.  But having you sneak out of the house like that was dangerous. If you really feel the need to go galavanting around during the middle of the night, please let me know. I would rather not get a call from the cops telling me they've found you out after curfew."

"Okay," Vriska says, not sure where Mr. Egbert is going with this lecture.

"And I'm afraid I am going to have to discipline you for this."

Vriska braces herself, knowing what comes next. She knows that flinching will make things worse.  Her mom makes sure to hit harder, if Vriska flinches. 

"No more television for the next week. And definitely no more going outside by yourself." Mr. Egbert says, "Now back to bed both of you. I would like to get a couple more hours of sleep before I actually have to get up and start my work for the day."

Vriska's jaw drops of it's own accord. She doesn't know what to say. 

Gamzee puts an arm on her shoulder though, and steer her back to their bedroom though. 

Once they are behind closed doors again, just the two of them, Vriska's brain starts to kick back into gear. 

"He didn't do anything!' Vriska exclaims in a hushed and agitated tone. She doesn't want Mr. Egbert to hear that she is still awake, just in case he does decide to change his mind and lay into her for real.

"I'm thinking that this is a very different kind of adult then you are all used to." Gazee says, as he toes off his sneakers and flops back into his bed. "And I'm not saying anything about your ma either way, but my mom never raised her hand to me. And I don't see that being something that Mr. Egbert would get all up in his head to do either."

Vriska doesn't say anything back. Because Gamzee clearly doesn't understand. Her mom didn't  _hurt_ her. She was  _teaching_ her. Showing her that there were consequences to her actions and making sure that she was tough enough to deal with anything that life was going to dish out to her.

She climbs into her own bed without another word. Gamzee definitely didn't understand, but Mr. Egbert was more a of a puzzle to her right now. She couldn't make heads or tails of it, and falls asleep wondering how else he is different than her mom.

\---

It turns out that no television wasn't going to be her only punishment. She has to help Mr. Egbert out in the garden as well that week. Gamzee helps to, even though he technically wasn't in trouble, because he's allowed to go out by himself. The older boy is still weird as far as Vriska was concerned, and sometimes she wonders if there was something actually wrong with him in the head, but then he does something or says something, and Vriska wonders if maybe it all isn't some kind of show or act.

It isn't all for show or act, Vriska finds out. 

She walks into the bathroom, after they are done working outside for the day, and Gamzee is in there already. The door wasn't fully close. She watch as he quickly popps a couple of pills into his hand from a bottle and swallows them without any water even. It looked like it was something that he had done before.

"Sorry," Vriska mutters, leaving the bathroom a second later. She is waiting for him in their bedroom though, after she washes her hands in the kitchen sink.

"What are you taking?' She asks him the second he comes into the room.

"Shit little sister, gotta go and get your interrogation going on such a nice day?" Gamzee says, flopping backwards onto his bed. She can tell he's dodging her about the medication though. Which is not good as far as she's concerned. And highly suspicious, because she can't think of anything the older boy had tried to avoid, even when she brings up his druggie mom, he just kind of shrugs and tells her it is what it is.

But this is different apparently.

"What. Are. You. Taking." Vriska tells more than asks him.

Gamzee sighs. "Can't let it drop?"

Vriska doesn't give him a response just looks at him and waits for him to tell her what's going on with his mystery drugs.

"They're my crazy pills," He tells her finally after a long waiting moment, where he alarming does not blink once at her. This is one of those times where Vriska immediately thinks that he's putting on an act or something.

"Crazy pills?" Vriska repeats with a frown, not buying the intense stare. 

"You know to keep me from going crazy," Gamzee says, with a smile, that is very, very forced. Vriska doesn't like it. Gamzee almost always smiles and to see him forcing one, seeing the corners of his mouth turn up but having his eye look at her like he wants her to just go away, just stop talking to her about this, that she really doesn't like one bit. 

"I don't understand," Vriska says, not liking having to admit that, not liking most of what's going on right now. "You're already crazy. They make you crazy? Or keep you from going more crazy?"

Gamzee lets out a little bark of a laugh. It's not a nice laugh.

"Both little sis, both works."

He doesn't tell her anything else, not even when she jumps on him and demands he explain. He's still bigger and older than her and probably always will be bigger, given how he's already taller than Mr. Egbert. Gamzee just flips her upside down over his shoulder, picking them both off his bed, and spins her in circles, until she shrieks for him to put her down. He distracts her until he thinks she forgets about the medication. 

She doesn't forget though. She drops it. Because she's really starting to like Gamzee. She likes when he calls her little sister, and she likes how he spins her around the room. and looks after her. Like she really is his little sister. She'll get the bottom of his crazy pills one way or another. 

They don't talk about the pills or their parents or really anything on a daily basis, and life continues on in a semi normal fashion, living with Mr. Egbert, and counting the days until her mother eventually comes to her.

On a particular Friday night, both her and Gamzee both have some pocket change from Mr. Egbert. They are planning a movie night and he's agreed to let them go out down to the store, even though it is getting late, as long as they don't take too long. 

It's dark, but more like twilight dark with streetlights just starting to pop on overhead. There's still the faint glow of the sun on the horizon but Vriska can also see the stars popping out over their heads. 

Gamzee has been pacing around the house all day, and that's probably the reason that Mr. Egbert said they could go out so late in the first place. Clearly the older boy needs to expel some energy, though Vriska can't figure out what's got him so riled up. They had a pretty normal day.

"Are you nervous about school starting?" Vriska asks.

"Nah, I'm all sorts of ready to get my learning on," Gamzee says. It comes out easily, but Vriska notices that his shoulders are tight and he keeps glancing around himself, like he's expecting something.

"I don't want to go to school," She announces to him "School is dumb. My mom didn't finish school, so I don't see why I should have to. She didn't make me go to school."

"There's always a reason," Gamzee says, glancing down at her. "You mom didn't make you go to school and the social workers did make you leave. Your mom needs to learn how to pick her battles if she wants to be all keeping you."

"Whatever," Vriska says, huffing at him. She know by now that Gamzee doesn't think she should go back to her mom. Or at least not anytime soon. She doesn't care.

She does suddenly care very much when they round the corner and there's a woman with an immense mane of black hair standing in their way.

Vriska recognizes her instantly, and her whole body freezes up on her, a combination of surprise and mild terror. Gamzee throws an arm up in front of her, to stop her from moving any, but she's frozen to the spot anyways.

"Vriska?" Her mom says, and then a downright feral grin spreads across her face. "Bout time I found you, baby girl. You're coming home with me tonight."

"Mom?" Vriska says, confusion belaying her ability to actually think at that moment.

Irritation immediately flashes across the older Serket's face. She schools it a second later, a smile spreading across her lips.

"Aren't you ready to come home, my little spider?" Ms. Serket asks her daughter.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Serket," Gamzee says, sounding anything but sorry. "But Vriska's not going anywhere tonight, and I know that Mr. Egbert would be all sorts of worried if she went and did a disappearing act with you right now."

 Vriska's confusion turns into fear for the older boy immediately.

"Hey Gamzee, just let me go," Vriska says, pushing the older boy's arm to try and get around it. She's keeping her eyes on her mother though, watching what the other woman is going to do. Her mother is not a woman who likes to be defied or talked back to. She definitely doesn't like being told what she can and cannot do.

"You must be the other kid Egderps been watching." Ms. Serket says, venomously. "If you know what is good for you, you'll let my daughter go before I make you."

"Vriska ain't going anywhere with you," Gamzee says, and Vriska can feel how tightly he is would, just from his arm touching her. This is not a Gamzee that she is familiar with. This Gamzee scares her. Not as much, she realizes, as her mother does.

"Have it your way," Ms. Serket snarls and moves towards Vriska and Gamzee. Vriska tries to swiggle herself in between her mother and Gamzee, but Gazee just pushes her gently but firmly around behind him, like she's nothing more than a pile of feathers. She never really realizes how strong he was until right then.

Her mother swings hard, aiming a punch right at the side of Gamzee's head. She would never pull her punches, not even against a child. Vriska can vouch for that as well. 

Vriska flinches, anticipating the hit. It never lands. Gamzee's hand flies up and he catches her fist. 

Mrs. Serket howls at him, and swings again. Gamzee doesn't even flinch as her fist flies, catching him right in the stomach.  He rocks backwards a little with the force, but that's it. A nasty smile spreads across his face, and Vriska's not even sure what happens next, because Gamzee's arm moves, and then her mother is laying on the ground sprawled out and seeming completely unconscious.

"I FUCKING told YOU Vriska IS not GOING anywhere WITH you!" Gamzee snarls at the uncouncious woman laying on the ground. Because she is very much uncouncious. There is no way that she would let Gamzee get a hit in like that and just lay there after. 

Gamzee doesn't take a chance though. Faster than Vriska can blink, Gamzee strikes out, kicking Ms. Serket hard in the side.

"GAMZEE, STOP," Vriska shouts at him, suddenly snapping out of her stupor. 

Gamzee gaze snaps to Vriska and she shrinks back instinctively.

"Aw YEAH," He says with a harsh laugh, "No MEDS, little SISTER. You MOTHERFUCKING asked."

"You might have killed her Gamzee!" Vriska says looking between the older boy and her bother laying on the ground. 

"Better ME killing HER than HER killing YOU." Gamzee snarls at Vriska, "Because she WOULD. DON'T you DARE let that DOUBT slip into your MOTHERFUCKING HEAD."

"She wouldn't have killed me, Gamzee," Vriska says back to him. There are hot tears prickling in the corners of her eyes, and her throat feels like it's trying to close up on her. "She was going to take me home. She was going to make me stronger!"

Gamzee laughs harshly at her. There's an edge of hysteria to it, that Vriska can feel herself reciprocating.

"You STUPID little GIRL," Gamzee says, and points at the unconcious woman. "SHE is all sorts of MOTHERFUCKING fucked AND TWISTED. Life is NOT a MOTHERFUCKING GAME, Vriska."

"I know it's not!" Vriska shouted back at him, furious and horrified.

"Then you need to get your motherfucking REALIZE ON. Your Ma would have KILLED YOU. Still WOULD. I SAW the BRUISES when you came. I SAW what SHE did to YOU." Gamzee says towering over Vriska. She balls her fists up, staring up at him, refusing to back down even though she is absolutely terrified of him at that moment. "I AM NOT GOING TO LET YOU GO BACK TO HER. I will up and  _fucking kill her_  before that EVER happens."

Gamzee lunges towards her, and Vriska raises her hands, ready to fight the older boy if she needs to. But he doesn't hurt her. He just wraps himself around her, pulling her close, smashing her against him in a hug so tight she can't even think beyond it.

It breaks her. She lets out a sob, and clings to the front of his shirt.  She's tired. She's tired of crying about this. She's tired of being afraid of her mom, of crying on Gamzee's shirt when things get bad.

Gamzee hugs her until they hear someone shouting and see Mr. Egbert running up to them, a police officer with him.

Vriska pushes away from Gamzee, wiping her face quickly.

"Vriska! Gamzee! Are you two okay?" Mr. Egbert calls and immediately starts patting them all over, checking for any kinds of injuries. He doesn't even notice the woman laying on the ground for a minute. When he does he draws in a long, pained sounding gasp of air. "We got a call that Vriska's mom was out of her mind on something and talking to her parole officer about coming to get Vriska. I came to find you as soon as they called me."

"This is definitely, Mrs. Serket," The officer says, bending down to take her pulse.

"What happened?" Mr. Egbert asks looking between the two of them.

"My mom found me," Vriska says, "She was going to try and take me, but Gamzee wouldn't let her."

"She's breathing but she's out cold," The police officer says, standing up, and whistles in surprise, "I'm going to call an ambulance and I'm going to need a statement though, from both of them. You hit hard kid."

"You can contact me in the morning," Mr. Egbert says, placing a hand on either one of his foster children's shoulder. "I'm taking these two home. There isn't anything that can't wait until the morning."

"That's fine," The officer says with a sigh and steps aside to radio in for help.

Mr. Egbert walks them the couple blocks back to their house without another word. As soon as they are inside though, he throws his arms around Gamzee and pulls him into a tight hug.

"Thank you," He says, squeezing the surprised boy. "Thank you for protecting her."

"Well, yeah," Gamzee says sounding a little confused, but not unhappy with the hug and thanks. "Little sisters got some weird priorities. Someone's gotta keep their eyes on her."

"You went above and beyond tonight though, Gamzee," Mr. Egbert says, pulling away from the older boy, but still keeping a hand on his shoulder. "And you young lady, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize how dangerous your situation really was until tonight. It's something that we're going to have to work on."

Vriska doesn't say anything back, but lets Mr. Egbert walk her and Gamzee to their room. She lays in her bed for a long time feeling worn out, but not tired enough to sleep. She can't tell if Gamzee is awake or not, but she very much doubts that he's asleep after all of that.

"Why'd you stop taking your meds?" She asks him, the words sounding too loud in the dark room. He doesn't answer her at first, and she thinks that he might have actually fallen asleep after all.

"They make my head full of motherfucking clouds," He eventually says, quietly and with a great deal of effort. "Sometimes a motherfucker just wants to be able to gets some thinking done you know?"

Vriska does know, in a kind of way. He stopped taking them for the same reason she snuck out of the house.

"You should talk to Mr. Egbert about it," She says, repeating the words that he had told her not so long ago. "He'd probably help you if you asked."

Gamzee lets out a tired little laugh. "For such a twisted up little sister, you can be awful real sometimes."

She assumes that he's complimenting her, even if the phrasing is kind of doubled and weird.

"You're still weird." She tells him.

"Thanks," He tells her. She can hear the edge fading from his voice now, and there is definitely a small smile to his words, even if she can't see it. It's enough though, and she relaxes enough that for a little while at least, she can forget about all the awful things, her mom, and Gamzee's meds, and how worried Mr. Egbert look, and she sleeps.

**Author's Note:**

> Vriska's kind of emotional in this, but I figure she's a human kid and not a troll kid. So that's my excuse.
> 
> Here's a song  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn9AQoI7mYU


End file.
